The use of bottled gasses for various industrial and medical purposes requires that the cylinder containing the gas be secured in some fashion to prevent possible damage, both to the cylinder itself and to the surrounding environment. A particularly difficult securement situation is in the area of emergency medical treatment where a patient or victim is given oxygen after having been placed on a stretcher. The oxygen is usually contained in a "D" size cylinder which heretofore has either been secured by one of a number of complicated arrangements beneath the stretcher, or by simply laying it next to the patient and using a cot strap for retention. In some instances, even the latter is not used, the cylinder merely resting between the patient's legs on the stretcher or on the floor of the emergency vehicle in which the patient is being transported. During transport to the hospital, unsecured or poorly secured cylinders are potentially lethal missles which could be launched anytime the vehicle lurches, stops suddenly, or is involved in a collison.
Those devices of the prior art which do provide adequate securement do not readily lend themselves to portability when the stretcher is transferred to or from the emergency vehicle. Often times it is a tedious task to remove the cylinder from the stretcher when the patient or victim is transferred to a bed or other supporting member.
A number of prior art patents fall generally in the area of holding devices for cylindrical objects. U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,848 provides a means for holding a container such as a cup. The novelty lies in the ability of the holder to pivot to a compact shape when not in use. There is no mention of any application to a compressed gas cylinder. U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,459 describes a bracket means for removably securing the housing of an insulated beverage container. The invention is generally applicable to securing a container to a golf cart and does not mention securement to a stretcher or cot railing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,598 teaches a device for handling, transporting and positioning a container commonly utilized for containing semiconductor wafers. There is no structure comparable to applicant's device. U.S. Pat. No. 3,817,435 describes a holder and transporter for compressed gas cylinders. The structure of this device is considerably different from applicants and is not useful in securing a cylinder to the railing of a stretcher.
Additional U.S. patents found in this area include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,820,696; 3,756,481; 4,159,729; 4,133,467 and 3,254,817. None of these patents disclose applicant's invention, and thus are not pertinent.
Thus it can be seen that there is a need in the art for a relatively simple device which will firmly secure a compressed gas cylinder to a cot or stretcher yet is easily removable when the situation requires. This need is met by the instant invention.